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Companies helping immigrants apply for U.S. citizenship

Miami will host the "Bethlehem Project"

EFE Agency

by Efe Agency

April 22 2013

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Miami will host tomorrow the "Bethlehem Project", which is the first immigration forum that will involve local community organizations and private companies who will be assisting immigrant employees in the citizenship application process.

The National Immigration Forum organization will host a conference at the Miami Dade College campus, where they will present the program that will assist "immigrant employees" to obtain their U.S. citizenship and therefore be more "valuable workers," said the Bethlehem Project.

This innovative project in Miami to support immigrants has the support and involvement of companies in the service sector such as hotels Betsy South Beach and Intercontinental, as well as the support from Dade College. It is also expected that more companies from the private sector will join the effort.

This initiative is the "first alliance" to the "integration of immigrants", and launched in Miami because this city is "an example of a city that has benefited greatly from the productivity and innovation of immigrants," said Mario Moreno to Efe, who is the director of the National Immigration Forum, the community group organizing the event.

Another key aspect of this project is to focus on all of the assistance that may be needed in a single program, like "English as a second language courses and civics & citizenship legal services." Classes which will be taught in their own workplaces said Moreno.

Currently when there is an immigration reform debate in our country, this initiative is an "opportunity" to demonstrate "how important it is to have effective integration programs that have the support of the business community," highlighted the activist.

"We're talking to a lot of companies, especially hotels and restaurants where many immigrant employees work," said Maldonado.

The National Immigration Forum is a non-profit organization founded in 1982 that advocates for immigrants and "promotes federal immigration policy" based on the founding principle of the United States as a "land of opportunity".